Notes and Editorial Reviews

The piano music of Sibelius might be regarded as a well-kept secret, overshadowed by his orchestral music. The sheer volume of piano works suggests, however, that the composer's often-cited dislike for the instrument has been greatly exaggerated. Many of the present works belong to the first part of Sibelius’s career – including his student days – and are included in the manuscript collection that was donated by the Sibelius family to Helsinki University Library. The overwhelming majority of these early works were resurrected by Folke Gräsbeck, who also performs them here.

TheRead more backbone of the present installment of the Sibelius Edition is made up of three previously released discs, but it also includes more than two discs’ worth of recordings that have not been released before, including a number of world premières. Apart from student compositions and youthful pieces, the program also contains some of Sibelius’s most well-known piano works, such as the Romance in D flat major (Op. 24), Six impromptus and Sonata in F major. Of special interest are also the pieces which relate to other genres in Sibelius’s output, such as a preliminary sketch for the slow movement of Symphony No.1, as well as the composer’s own transcriptions of some of his most well-loved works, including Valse triste and Finlandia. (5 CDs for the price of 3)Read less